


Forgiven mistakes and Forgotten Hope

by Megchad22



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Ending of the Prequels, Anakin is Not Vadar, Burned Anakin, Caretaker Obiwan, Fugitive Obiwan, Fugitive Padme, Gen, No seperated Twins, Quadrapeligic Anakin, What-If, alive Padme, hinted threesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-07-11 19:56:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7067818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megchad22/pseuds/Megchad22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is based of a Tumblr prompt and it's respons by suzukiblu. I blame them for the fact that the IDEAS HAVEN"T STOPPED. FFS. Beinning notes have the propmpt and their response.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [suzukiblu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzukiblu/gifts).



> Obi-Wan/Anakin/Padme, Mistakes can be forgiven, but never forgotten.
> 
> suzukiblu responded:  
> This is the fic where Obi-Wan doesn’t leave Anakin to burn. 
> 
> Still cuts off his arm and legs, yes–but doesn’t leave him. Almost, ALMOST leaves him, but–
> 
> But. 
> 
> So Obi-Wan drags Anakin back to the ship while Anakin is screaming and cursing and exhausting himself struggling against him–and back on the ship is Padmé. And Padmé is in labor, and that kiiiind of interferes with the screaming and struggling. Padmé also wants to grab onto Anakin and freak out all over him because she needs someone to freak out on, but ofc Anakin is in no place for that and is in fact part of WHY she needs to freak out so bad, and Anakin himself is TEN THOUSAND YEARS PAST needing someone to freak out on, and Obi-Wan is just–Obi-Wan is just as far past, really, just as far past as BOTH of them. Fucking R2-D2 is the only remotely stable person on that ship at the moment, THAT IS HOW BAD THE SITUATION IS. C-3PO is more stable than the organics on that ship. 
> 
> Also, the amount of pain and rage and hate and grief onboard is just … dear god. And Anakin is so angry and feels so betrayed and Obi-Wan is grieving so much and has BEEN so betrayed and Padmé is literally in fucking labor, you fucking bastards, she is literally about to bring a BABY into this HORRIBLE DISASTER of a situation, of a GALAXY. 
> 
> Neither Obi-Wan or Padmé have ever felt this hopeless or helpless. Even Anakin hasn’t, although it’s still pretty fucking close. The whole “Padmé being in labor” thing is enough of an immediate crisis to break the fighting, though, at least for a moment, and Anakin–well, Anakin’s pretty much in shock at this point, medically speaking it’s a miracle he’s not dead even WITHOUT the immolation, so that kind of throws a spanner in things too. 
> 
> Long story short, Anakin and Padmé are both basically unconscious by the time Obi-Wan gets them to a med center, and then he has to yell the med-droids into treating them in the same room because FORCE KNOWS what either’d do waking up without the other. The med-droids overcompensate and “helpfully” put their gurneys side-by-side, and Obi-Wan kind of Despairs but–what, WHAT, what is he gonna say? 
> 
> Also, what is he gonna do about his gone-Dark-side apprentice and his secret wife and their SECRET FUCKING BABY. WHAT. 
> 
> Yoda’s not going to take this well, when he finds them. Obi-WAN isn’t taking this well, frankly. Obi-Wan hasn’t taken ANYTHING well since–Force damn, since they all MET, he thinks sometimes. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Padmé struggles through delivering the twins and Obi-Wan talks her through it the best he can because he has NOTHING else, NONE of them have anything else anymore, and Anakin lays unconscious at her side while the other droids patch him up as much as they can, his prosthetic hand just close enough for Padmé to hold. 
> 
> Obi-Wan doesn’t actually look to see if she is.

Oh god and its a long process, such a long process. And now there are two babies in the mix. Babies that by all right should be anywhere but with their parents. there are times when Obi-Wan will look back later and wonder, truly wonder why he didn’t just take off with the babies, the twins, after Padme passed out from exhaustion.   
  
If everyone is honest the only reason that they don’t leave Anakin behind at every port they stop at is that he is a quadriplegic and no one thinks he’ll last more than a couple of months anyway.   
  
They don’t go to the Jedi or the Republic. By the time Anakin can even be moved, which was long past Padme’s recovery, the Jedi have fallen into chaos and the first vestiges of the empire are rising. By time they are back in familar space there is an arrest warrant for Padme and a shoot on sight order for Obi-wan (ironically for Anakins ‘death’).   
  
The twins are crawling before Anakin can stay awake for any period of time, he is in constant unending pain. Every third night since the fight Obiwan stands over his apprentices bed and tries to convince himself to end things (It’s every other night for Padme). 

By then his betrayal has some of it’s sting. Not all, not even most, but Padme doesn’t have time to focus on her husbands darkside. Not when she had to keep them moving, keep them all alive and fed. (Sometimes in the darkest portions of her mind she is glad they can’t afford much in the way of pain killers.)   
  
Obi-wan is the one who tends Anakin, who gets up with the twins when Padme is so exhausted she sleeps though anything, who learns so much more about the human body and what it can endure than anyone should ever have to know.   
  
It’s a strange roll reversal but it’s the only one that works. Padme cannot look upon Anakin with out two dueling thought processes. The man she loves is in pain Vs. the unending betrayal of his descent into darkness. She is the one with the contacts that still talk to her, that won’t send the Empire to their ship. And she is the one who is always underestimated, and advantage they cannot afford to ignore.   
  
So Obi-wan becomes the caretaker. Anakin, even after he wakes up, doesn’t say a word. Just stares into space, sometimes scowling, sometimes not. They can’t afford prosthetics, unfortunately they can’t afford much of anything that would make Anakin’’s life bearable. Obi-wan occasionally is able to steal some stronger pain killers but that is about the extent of it. Even if they could afford something the could hep him walk or grip so much of him was burned that he would never be able to walk without excruciating pain.   
  
So that is how it years. They do not talk about anything but the now and how to protect the twins. The Empire continues to grow and there are whispers of a rebellion growing as well, almost keeping pace with the fledgling empire. (In another life the empire expands quickly with the help of Darth Vader, but for it’s grip was all the looser because of it.)   
  
Then one day not long after the twins turned five Anakin looked directly at Ob-wan for the first time since the fight. “Why?” He rasped. 

It took the man a long moment to answer his former apprentice, more from the surprise that Anakin could even speak than anything else.   
  
“Whatever else happened, you were once my dearest friend. I couldn’t let you die there.” 

“Should have.” The oldest living Skywalker choked out. 

Five years before, maybe even as little as three years before Obi-wan would have been horrified by the thought. Now he had been forced to grow far more pragmatic, “You’re probably right.” He responded. It was the truth, letting his friend die likely would have been a kindness, he still stands over Anakin’s bed every third day and wonders what it says about him that he can’t give the man a mercy killing. Wonders if it would feel like forgiveness.   
  
Anakin said no more and Obi-wan went back to tending him. 

Leia does not enter the Anakin’s room often. She takes her cues from her mother, who still watches her husband with weary eyes. (Padme has long since given up on standing over Anakin’s bed. She cannot forgive him enough or hate him enough to kill him. Mostly what she is is tired.) The only way to get Leia to sit still is to put her in the cockpit with her mother and listen to communications.   
  
Luke, the more sensitive of the two, does go into his father’s room. Peering around Obi-wan’s legs to stare at the bedridden man. Asking question about each salve and tool in the room Then as he grew older sitting next to, or on, the bed chattering about what they did that day or the markets or whatever else comes to mind. 

No one is surprised, but Luke himself, when he is the one to get Anakin to answer back. To talk, even for a bit. 

Obi-wan watches them and he feels both fear and hope. Because he had already met one boy whose heart was almost big enough to fit a galaxy, and he had watched his world burn around them because of it. Hope because for the first time in a long time Obi-wan could see the spark of light through the darkness on Anakin’s soul. 

The children grow, as children are wont to do. there has been no time to teach them about the Force. what it is or what it means. They are all still running, fugitives. The twins though, they use the force as easily as breathing. It is a game to them. Entertainment and childlike play. No one notices they are even sensitive until Obi-wan catches them playing catch in the hold.   
  
Catch here is a bit of a misnomer. The kids were floating and soaring like something from a holovid pushing a piece of cargo that outweighed them both between them. Not once in the five minutes it took to be noticed did the cargo or the kids touch each other or anything else solid. 

Obi-wan stands with a dropped jaw as two kids do without training what many apprentices couldn’t do; what many master even had a hard time with. 

When he was finally noticed Luke just grinned excitedly and ran off. Leia rolled her eyes, made sure the crate was stored safely and wandered off, possibly to find her mother.   
  
The Jedi turned and followed after Luke, curious. The boy burst into Anakin’s room. Apparently to tell him about the game he and Leia had created. He was just explaining how he wanted to tell Anakin before but Leia made him promise not to tell anyone before Obi-wan found out because she wanted to see how long it would take him. 

Then Obi-wan wasn’t the only one staring as Luke rose, cross legged two feet off the bed. Luke was practically bouncing with excitement.   
  
“Now i can teach you” he burbled, 

That drew Anakin’s attention, “What?” He asked in the raspy whisper he adopted when speaking to Luke.   
  
Suddenly Luke was shy and it seemed for a moment that Obi-wan’s vision was overlay with another little boy many years ago who was both enthusiastic and shy. 

“Well that’s why we created it, Liea was helping me ‘casue I couldn’t do it alone at first. It’s just you never leave this room and I know why but I thought if we could show you how to move like this” he gestured to the floating, “then you can move around more and you can be happier/” 

Both Master and former apprentice looked at each other in abject shock. Use the force for something so trivial as a game? But Luke was already wilting, afraid of being rejected. And Anakin, well Obi-wan saw Anakin through the mess of scars and atrophied limbs. 

“It’s alright” Anakin’s voice softened, “It was very clever of you both. You can show me? I haven’t used the force in a long time. I might be rusty.” 

Luke’s grin widened and his head bobbled as he nodded yes furiously. “I can teach you” he practically cheered. Then he caulked his head. “What’s the force?” 

Obi-wan felt so far out of his depth again but Anakin just gave a scarred smile. “You’re using the force.” He explained gently. Then proceeded to let a seven year old tech him something none of them had ever though possible. 

That was the day Obi-wan finally began to forgive his old friend. And he never again stood above his bed deciding if it would be kinder to kill him. 

Not everything was fixed, in fact very little was but in that one moment Obi-wan was filled with hope for the future. 


	2. Chapter 2

When the twins are 13 they find Yoda. Or Yoda finds them. They are in the marketplace (in disguise because Padme and Obi-wan are still fugitives.) Anakin is with them, using the force to keep himself upright and doubly disguised because he is really noticeable (Leia had discovered a type of  force glamour where Anakin could force other people to see what he wanted in regards to himself. It was tiring though so he tended to only use it off of the ship that was their home). 

Hyper vigilant though they were the small green form went unnoticed as it trailed them. perhaps it was Yoda’s own talents in the force that allowed him to slip aboard with them. 

“Powerful they are.” He spoke from beside Obi-wan, causing the entire group to jump. His eyes were focused on the two teens. “As Jedi they must be trained.”

The words caused a visceral, immediate reaction.  Anakin shot to the height he would have been had he still had legs. “My children will not be Jedt” and he sneered the word like like it was a foul thing.

Padme was only a second behind him, her agreement silent but no less forceful. For the first time in over thirteen years husband and wide stood shoulder to shoulder, in complete agreement and completely in sync.

Obi-wan stared at them wide eyed. He could see Padme, exhausted and aged before her time, In some ways she looked nothing at all like the Senator and Princess she had been. He could see Anakin, who carried all of their scars on his face and body, the man who should have been broken beyond repair. He saw how they, in all their broken glory, appeared to be the strongest in the room. In that instant he knew to his bones that if they had not had to hide, the galaxy would have looked like a very different place.  
  
“Master Yoda” he said carefully, choosing his words carefully (and ignoring his own automatic reaction of ‘Fuck No’). “This is neither the time nor the place. These two would not benefit from Jedi training.” He felt more than saw the swell of thankfulness from Padme and the surprise from Anakin. 

“Force Sensitive they are. Jedi training they must have. Or to the dark side they will fall.” Then Yoda’s eyes cut to Anakin’s twisted form as if it were proof. 

Maybe if Obi-wan hadn’t seen it. Hand’t lived through the power of Lukes love for his father. How Leia’s attachment to her mother made her stronger, more grounded. Maybe if he hadn’t seen the poison of Anakin’s hatred be bled away with the chatter of a young voice. And just maybe if he hadn’t just seen the strength of a parents love for their kids override the pain Padme still kept locked inside. Maybe he would have agreed.

“We fucked up” He said instead of the number of things he could have. “The entire Jedi Order, it’s entire philosophy fucked up. And the Galaxy paid the price. Is still paying it.” Because it wasn’t Anakin’s attachments that had caused him to go dark. That wasn’t what the now Emperor’s poison had latched onto. It was the threat of loosing those attachment, the secrecy  that had started him down that path.   
  
Now Yoda’s eyes had turned to him, “Darker you have grown. Angry. Forgotten Jedi teachings you have.”

Before Obi-wan could retort, probably angrily, and prove Yoda’s point Luke’s curious voice piped up. “What’s a Jedi?”

Obi-wan was so accustomed to answering any of Luke’s questions that he had spoken before he even realized. “The Jedi are an order of force users who follow a strict code. They believe that shedding themselves of attachment and strong emotions is the only way to prevent using the force destructively. They believe that there is a Light and Dark side to the force and that they follow the light. Their current opposite, the Sith, follow the dark side of the force and believe that strength and power are the only thing that matters. that they can take whatever they feel like. Both sides believe that the other side is a cause of corruption in the force. Anakin and I were trained as Jedi’s though Anakin has also had some Sith training as well.”

“Is that why he can play catch better than you can?” Leia asked curiously. Though Luke tended to be the one who wanted to know how everything worked Leia was always more interested in people and what they could do. “Because he has experience with the whole Force and you have trained yourself to only access a part of it.”

That stopped Obi-wan short. He had always assumed that it was because Anakin was much stronger than him in the Force. “That’s possible” he responded slowly. 

“Unfinished business we have. Trained they must be” Only Yoda’s eyes were solely on Luke. It was only then that Obi-wan remembered about the prophecy. (So sue him, it’s been a long couple of decades.)

“No, you will not make Luke your next chosen one.” Obi-wan’s firm voice galvanized Padme and Anakin into action, herding the teens further into the ship. 

“Bring balance to the force a Skywalker will.” Yoda reminded placidly. The tone seemed to puncture a deep well of anger in Obi-wan. 

“You will NOT try to make Luke your next chosen one.” The former Jedi, and now he could truly consider himself a FORMER Jedi, ground out more forcibly. Luke was so like Anakin, so like how he was in the beginning before he was trained, before the Jedi tried to mold him. Obi-wan would protect that. “Leave Yoda, you are not welcome here.”

“Again we will meet.” Yoda promised then exited the ship. 

The anger that had been coursing though Obi-Wan fled and he closed the hatch more quickly than he thought possible. then he leaned against it even as he felt the first stirrings of disembark procedures. They were a little shaky, meaning Padme was letting one of the twins pilot. Probably Luke since Leia was just a tad bit better at being a pilot than her brother.. 

He moved deeper into the ship, still breathing deep. At least he knew now. He knew that even if the Jedi returned tomorrow he would not be drawn to them. He had found what he needed in their broken little family.


	3. Chapter 3

Let’s take a moment and a step back from our little fugitive family. The galaxy at large awaits.

It is a changed galaxy from the one we have known.  Anakin Skywalker was all at once replaceable and oh so very necessary in the formation of the Empire. Darth Vader, the masked figure of terror, the face of the empire’s enforcement arm could be anyone. Is any force user who could pick up mask. And there are plenty for the Emperor to choose from.  Anakin, though, he had a power that not just anyone could match.  His loss is much more devastating for the fledgling empire.

But not crippling. No the former Chancellor had been planning far too long for that. Instead of an enforcer he fashioned Anakin into a Martyr. A symbol to be held up and toted out to discredit the Jedi. He was painted as a child stolen away and brainwashed by the terrible Jedi Order. A young man strong enough to break free of their control to confide in his friend the Chancellor.  He had been betrayed by the very people he had once protected, Padme and Obi-Wan, and they had killed him for it. Or that is what the Empire would have you believe.

Orders are signed to bring Padme in for questioning; her child, should it still live, would be taken away from such a dangerous woman. Obi-Wan is to be shot on sight for his heinous crimes.

But without Anakin’s pain focused rage, and power, the Empire’s growth is slowed. There are many allies but not enough to quash rebellion. Entire planets, entire solar systems resist. Places that should be easily held become a bloody struggle. But each planet brought to heel is gripped tight, once the Empire quashes resistance in a solar system no rebellion will take root again.

Naboo is the first to fall. Emperor Palpatine uses the planet as a staging area. For days the streets ran red with the human blood of Padme’s supporters.  The Gungan, under a new Boss, sided with the Emperor and swore loyalty to Palpatine.  It was not a loyalty easily broken.

A Resistance movement begins among the free planets. Chief among them is the planet Alderaan. It is near untouchable by the Empire. They say the very soil and water of the planet will swallow any Storm Trooper who touches upon its surface.  After an entire platoon fails to report back few are willing to try.  Instead Empire ships and traps encircled the planet, hoping to catch members of the resistance trying to reach or leave the planet.

Instead of a vast empire a civil war embroiled the Galaxy. Within a decade there are no neutral worlds. Home worlds are loyal to either the Empire or the Resistance. A quarter of the galaxy lives on ships traveling from place to place, afraid to stay long lest they be forced to choose a side.

By the time the Twins are 15 a sort of peace has been reached, an uneasy truce. The resistance cannot be called a resistance anymore, rather it is a coalition of planets. And the empire, well, it is smaller than Palpatine thought it would be. It cannot attack with impunity or test its weapons on planets that resist. But it is powerful; in some ways far more powerful than the Coalition that started on Alderaan. For every planet controlled by the Emperor is to a being loyal to the Empire.  The Coalition, though slightly bigger, is loyal to the idea that the empire must be stopped.

 

 

 

Padme knows which planets to avoid. She survived the Senate for too long not to be able to read the signs. She knew that the longer the uneasy peace lasted the less safe it would be for her or Obi-Wan to leave their ship.  She had taught Leia well but that didn’t make it burn any less when she had to send her daughter into the market instead of going herself. But she was so tired now, she wanted to rest.

It all changed in an asteroid field near the Core.  Leia had been scanning the frequencies absent mindedly. They often stopped in fields such as this because it hid their signature. It never occurred to any of them that others had done the same.

“…Just three more ships needed…” was all Leia heard before the channel switched again. She paused, The Force Obi-Wan and Anakin were so obsessed with told her this was important. She carefully dialed back and listen dot the conversation with growing curiosity.

Leia told Luke first. Her twin was always the first to know any of her secrets. He insisted that they tell their mother. In fact, he pushed and cajoled and begged that she tell Padme. Because he was always the more sensitive of the two and he could feel how exhausted she was. How tired of running.

When Leia explained Padme just sat and stared for a long moment. “What?” she asked as if her mind couldn’t comprehend what was going on. To be fair she hadn’t slept in far too long and had been cooped up even longer.

“They’re creating something new in the Mid Rim asteroid belt. A Collection of ships tethered together and hidden from the Coalition and the Empire. I found the channel on accident. They want it to be truly neutral. Somewhere to live away from mess the planet-bound are in. We could go there.”

It was tempting but Padme had learned the hard way she had to be the realist on board. She just thought Leia was more like her in that regard. “We can’t. We’re fugitives.”

Leia smiled though, not at all discouraged, “That’s the beauty though. They are too. All of them. They’ve lost their planets because they wouldn’t choose. They are fugitives because of propaganda. Just like us.”

And Padme wanted to scream. No not like us, because once upon a time the entire galaxy knew their faces. Her’s, Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s. And she feared deep in soul what it would mean if they were recognized.  Because once upon a time she chose love and once upon a time that love betrayed everything they both held dear to save her and in doing so nearly killed her. Because once upon a time would begin again if they were around people; Luke and Leia loved too deeply for it to not.

“Somewhere to live.” Rasped Anakin and Padme suppressed a flinch. He rarely spoke in her presence because he could feel how badly she hurt at the sight or sound of him.

She knew that they all thought it was because of his scars, now white with age. They thought the changes that had overcome her husband because of the fires disturbed her. It wasn’t the case. It wasn’t the scars but the man that bothered her. These days she could see, could hear, could sense Anakin; her Anni. She could see him in the scars and in the careful way he loved Luke. In the way he had started smiling with his eyes again around Obi-Wan. In the way he didn’t approach her, kept his distance and averted his eyes from her because _she_ wished it.

And she could hear it now in the faint wistful tone. She closed her eyes, knowing that her resolve was crumbling.  Her eyes lifted to take in the final human member of their little crew…no they were a family now. Obi-Wan was looking at Anakin with a soft look on his face. He had been the first to forgive both of them.  The first to accept them.

“We can try” she heard herself whisper and something close to relief settled into her bones. With all her heart and with every drop of life still in her she hoped and she prayed that this would work because they were putting everything on the line for it. She could somehow feel it, if this fell through there would be no more chances. Her family would be lost to her forever.

But oh…oh it had been so long since she felt anything like hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two things. First a plot is beginning to emerge from hiding. Review often but quietly so I might catch it. Second in case I didn't mention I picture this Anakin somewhere between the moderate burns picture by the original post and the whole body immolation of cannon. I figure the heaviest scaring is on his leg stubs but he had been struggling enough that Obi-wan (who also ended up with a few burns of his own) dropped him a few times. Heavy scarring on his face, particularly his forehead, nose and chin but not so much that he is not recognizable. The scar have faded slighlty with age.

In the twins twentieth year Emperor Palpatine died.  He was succeeded by a young woman just barely out of her teens that the Emperor had treated like a daughter.  The Coalition of Free planets half heartedly tried to imply cloning was involved. It never really gained traction as there was no one who resembled the emperor less than the new emperess. By that point no one really believed that the Coalition and the Empire were anything other than uneasy allies.

The new Empress promptly made plans to marry the current Darth Vader, eight of that name, a force user ten years her senior.  The entire empire cooed at the handsome couple and their apparent happy glow.

On the Coalition home planet of Alderaan the last Jedi Master Yoda looked up on the day of the coronation.  “In chaos the force is” he muttered to himself, taking a moment to ignore the confusion of his new pupils. “A disturbance I feel.”

The makeup of the Coalition and the Empire is strange in ways that is hard to articulate. There are no vast swaths of territory or well defined borders. Instead there are jigsaw pieced systems, this one for the Empire or that one for the Coalition. And in the numerous cracks and asteroid fields hide nameless city ships of people who want to belong to neither.

It is in one of these communities that we find our little family of fugitives. They have been part of this mishmash of ships tether together for four years. Long enough that there is no need to hide Anakin’s scars. Long enough that Padme and Obi-wan did not fear the bounty on their heads.

There is one hard and fast rule for all of the city ships, everyone must contribute. Leia worked in the communication center; within a few months she all but ran the communications for half the city ships in their belt. Luke was a mechanic with a delight for fixing what most would consider unfixable.  Obi-wan worked in the medical center while Padme ran the marketplace that dealt with trade from all over the galaxy.  They had agonized over what Anakin could do before Leia had suggested that he teach any force sensitive children in the ships. The shipboard council had loved the idea, Padme and Obi-wan had feared for months after that. Those fears were for nothing though because Anakin took to teaching with a zeal and talent that left them all stunned.  He taught the children not the ways of the Jedi or the ways of the Sith but how to feel the force. Incidentally he also taught the importance of not ignoring your emotions or letting them consume you. 

Leia tore into her parents living quarters like she was ten and not twenty, nearly vibrating with excitement.  Luke was already there, his hands dyed black with grease, with their parents.  All four of them were waiting on her so they could have their weekly supper.  It had only been a few months since Luke had moved into the quarters that came with his promotion to First Mechanic; at the same time Leia had realized that it would be better to move to the ship that housed the main communications relay,  to be closer in case of an emergency. They still made time to come to dinner with their parents once a week.

“Guess what?” She burst out still vibrating.

“That Solo bastard is back in the city.” Obi-wan shot back without any heat.  In an occurrence that was hilarious to both Padme and Anakin it was the former Jedi that reacted the worst to the news that Leia had found a long term boyfriend in a smuggler by the name of Han Solo. The Corellian clearly adored her and had managed to charm everyone else in the family into approving of him.

Leia paused to frown at Obi-wan “Not for another month, papa. And if you could stop glaring at him maybe I could get him to stay still long enough for me to propose. ”

“What’s your news dear?” Padme asked, interrupting what would be another battle between them.  She was acutely aware that this would be nothing on what would happen if someone dragged Luke attention away from his droids long enough to fall in love.

There were moments when Padme reflected in awe of all that had happened. She had been married and gotten pregnant in secret. Lost her home, her livelihood, nearly lost her husband and her own life. With the help of a man she and her husband both loved they raised her children to be smart, capable, and intuitive.  That Anakin had survived was a miracle; that she had lived long enough to be able to look at him and feel forgiveness was beyond even that.  And now her Leia was looking to the future as well. Padme could feel it, the love when she talked of her young man. Ani could feel it as well.  She could tell he was making an effort to be absolutely supportive.  It was her husband that had finally gotten Obi-wan to listen to reason. And all he had to do was point out what happened the last time someone had tried to keep a Skywalker away from someone they loved.  That reasoning did not stop Obi-wan from making passive aggressive comments towards Han, though.

“We just received news that Emperor Palpatine has died. His successor the Empress Kita has declared all the bounties that were more than ten years old to be null and void just after her wedding to the current Lord Vadar.”

The news felt like it rocked the ship beneath Padme’s feet, but also nothing like that at all. The ability to go anywhere she wanted in the galaxy, or at least in Empire Systems, was freeing, or it should have been. But she had been a fugitive almost longer than she had been a senator or Queen.  Where could she possibly have to go. Naboo?  There was nothing left there for her. But a gasp escaped her as her thoughts tore in a different direction. Obi-Wan was free now as well.  She turned to him, trying to gauge what was going on in his head. From the corner of her eye she saw Anakin do the same.  The former Jedi Master looked like he had the same conflicting feelings being  of over and under whelmed  Like he knew this should be important information but could not grasp why.

“Oh” He finally said with a thoughtful look. “I guess that means we can meet that blasted Solo’s family now.” Laughter exploded from Padme without her consent. She leaned back into it. Ani watched her with mirth filled eyes. Something deep within them both relaxed. Their third had chosen them of his own free will.

Corellia, by the by, became an Empire system just after they had found their way to the City ships. It had been one of the last holdout neutral systems. So it was true that until that moment Padme had not been able to meet with her future son in laws parents, lest they get turned in for the bounty.


	5. Wedding Traditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short but leading up to a plot appearing in the distance. No sudden moves or we might spook it.

Stepping form the metal ramp onto the soft grass of the field was surreal.  It was just as Padme remembered. Or maybe her mind was filling in the gaps.

It had been so long since she set foot on Naboo. There were so many memories. This field in particular. This place where she had married Anakin. He hovered beside her now, looking as wistful as she did.

The scars on his face had faded with age into thin spider webs of white lines starting at the tip of his nose and the apex of his forehead. Underneath the heavy cloth hiding the stumps of his legs the majority of his scars resided.  His hair had never grown back.

Obi-wan was next.  It was only in the Naboo sun, the brightest light they had encountered in a decade, that Padme could see the heavy streaks of grey.  It struck her that it had been 25 years since the birth of her children.  28 years since she had set foot on this field to marry her lover. Almost forty since she had met Obi-wan and Anakin.

And now they stood this field to watch the marriage of her daughter to a Corellian. Apparently there was a tradition among Han Solo’s mother’s people; now extinct.  It was considered good luck to marry on the same soil as you parents.  The planet that Solo’s parents had joined on was long gone but Naboo still stood. This field, this place still stood.

“Padme Amidala” a young, clear, female voice rang out. It was not familiar but Padme turned at her old name all the same.  The owner of the voice was a tall thin woman with skin a smooth mocha. She was dressed as elaborately as Padme ever had; all bright colors and wide structured bolts of cloth. For just a moment it made her self-conscious for her own outfit and hair; well kept but muted and practical.

There was only one person this could be. The Empress. Padme sketched a bow with a suddenly pounding heart, fear filling her. Despite the fact that they were supposedly safe, that she was no longer a fugitive having the Empress appear, with all her bodyguards was not what she wanted to face on her daughter’s wedding day. But she had once been a senator and a queen. “Empress” she intoned.

“Peace Madam Skywalker” The Empress laughed. Padme couldn’t help but notice the lack of the honorifics that once had been hers.  It was also striking that this was the first time she had been called by her married name in public. “You and yours are safe within my Empire. I have heard too many fantastic stories of your bravery.”

“Tales, Empress? I would have thought that the former Emperor would not have want positive tales to survive.” Padme choked out, all too aware of the feel of Anakin and Obi-Wan a few feet behind her. Both ready to leap to her defense but also trying desperately to not appear threatening to the young Empress.

“You would be surprised. Your fugitive status was not personal Madam. My father needed to consolidate his power and you were a threat to that.” That she no longer was, almost 30 years later, went unsaid but heard. “He did tell me some. Others I learned from my nanny growing up. She had been one of your handmaidens, Naaima.”

Padme started, “Naaima? Is she…?”

The Empresses young, beautiful face pulled into a sad frown.  “She died fending off a kidnapping attempt six months before I became the Empress. It was in her memory that I relieved you of your fugitive status. When I heard of the wedding taking place here I knew I had to see if it was you. Now I will let you get back to your festivities.” With that she and her retinue turned and walked away.

Watching them walking away something in Padme refused to relax. Outwardly she gathered herself. Pasting a smile on her face she deliberately turned back toward the ceremony being set up a dozen feet away. Nothing, not even her own hard won paranoia, would ruin this for Leia.


End file.
